Battery.



r." 5 Illllli Illllllllllllllli Ill )l I Patented Nov. 7, I899;

C. E. BURROUGHS.

BATTERY.

(Applicatiun filed Nov. 21, 1898.)

(No Model.)'

E II

nil lllllmna Vllllllllllillll \mm EI I UNITED STATES FFI'QE.

PATENT CHARLES EDWD. BURROUGHS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y, ASSIGNOR TO NORTON P.OTIS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,318, dated November'7, 1899.

Application filed November 21, 1898. Serial No. 697,037. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES EDWD. BUR- ROUGHS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residingin the city, county, and State of New York,

5 have invented certain new and useful Im- V provements in Batteries, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to galvanic batteries or What are usually termeddry cells, and

I has for its objects to make use in such cells of as large a bodyofexcitant fluid as possible while maintaining the dry character of thecells, to maintain the energy and increase the recuperativepower of thebattery, and other- 1 wise to increase'and maintain its eificiency andcheapen its construction; and to this end the same is constructed asfullyset forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a dry batterycell embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 1 1,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached view showing a sectional electrode.

The hard carbon cylinder or rod A is in tery. The other element orelectrode F con-, sists of a metal electronegative to the carbon,

5 as zinc, and although it may be a slitted shell consisting of a platebent to a cylindrical or other form and capable of expansion itpreferably consists of two or more bent or semicircular zinc plates 6 6of an external form corresponding to that of the interior of a case D,

which may be of galvanized iron or other suitable material.

The electrode A B, of the character shown or of any other suitablecharacter, is inclosed in a body of absorbent material E, of cellulose,felt, or fibrous material, so applied as to be substantially uniform indensity and with a comparatively smooth, regular, and level outerface-that is, an outer face free from lumps or protuberanceswhereby tosecure a practically uniform and continuous contact with the inner faceof the zinc shell F. One means of securing this result consists inapplying one edge of a sheet of absorbent cotton to the exterior of thepart B and then rolling the latter to wrap it in the cotton or otherabsorbent one, two, or more times, thereby securing a, wrapping ofpractically uniform thickness and density, so that when the shell F isapplied to the exterior face of the body of absorbent material andpressed thereon there will be a regular and intimate contact between theouter face of the bodyE and inner face of the electrode F.

After the application of the absorbent material E to the electrode A Bthe electrolytic fluid is applied by pouring it upon the cylinder ofabsorbent material E, held horizon tally below the stream of liquid, orpreferably by placing the latter in a pan and rolling the absorbentcylinder therein.

The electrolytic fluid may be any suitable mixture or emulsionas,forinstauce, a mixture of Water, chlorid of zinc, oxid of manganese, andsal-amm oniac, the water partially dissolving and also holding particlesof the materials in suspension. 7

When, as heretofore, the absorbent material is packed around theelectrode A B while the latter is held centrally in the cell or Wrappedaround and put in dry and the electrolytic-fluid mixture is then pouredonto the top of the absorbent cylinder, the result is to collect theundissolved particles at the top of the absorbent cylinder, andtherefore the galvanic or chemical action is most energetic at thepointwhere the said particles are collected, and the electrode F iseaten away at a point about level with the top of the absorbent materialand the life of the cell is proportionately limited.

By applying the electrolytic mixture over the outer face of theabsorbent cylinder the undissolved particles are uniformly distributedover the entire face and also over the 5 entire inner face of the shellor electrode F, so that there is a much larger area of galvanic action.The latter is uniform over the whole face of the'elect-rode F, and notonly is the life of the cell prolonged, but the energy of the batteryand its recuperative powers greatly increased.

I have found that the regular uniform and intimate contact over theentire proximate faces of the absorbent cylinder and shell F is mostimportant. This I secure, first, by applying the absorbent materialuniformly to the electrode A B, and, second, by securing a uniformpressure of the shell upon the cylinder. This results by using an outerelectrode which is independent of the cylinder E that is, by applyingthe shell or its sections 6 6 to the outside of the cylinder E after thecoating of the latter is saturated and then pressing the shell or itssections firmly against the cylinder, reducing its dimensions bycompression until the shell F will slip readily into the case D, whenall parts will be held in place by the expansion of the compressedabsorbent material and the desired intimate contact of the surfacessecured.

The electrode A B and shell F have suitable connecting posts orterminals 7 8. \Vhen the shell is in sections, thelatter areelectrically connected in any suitable way-for instance, as shown inFig. 3.

I find that by applying the exciting fluid to the mass of absorbentmaterial before compressing the latter I can absorb and retain a greatervolume of liquid, thereby increasing the life and energy of the cell.Above the saturated absorbent material E, I prefer in most cases toplace another body of saturated material G, which adds" to theefficiency of the cell. \Vhether this supplementary body of material isused or not, it is desirable to avoid the possibility of leakage fromthe cell. Therefore I pack around the central electrode, between thelatter and the case D and above a fluid-proof partition 9, a body H ofdry absorbent material, covering it with a disk 10 of like character tothe disk 9, and then close the cell by a body 12 of tar, wax, &c.,poured onto the disk 10. The disks may be of thin metal or paper coatedwith shellac or varnish. A vent-pipe 13, extending through the disk 12,permits the escape of any gases generated within the cell. IVhile thecell is shown as round, it may be rectangular or other shape incross-section. It may be protected externally in any suitable manner.The exterior surface of the absorbent cylinder may be wound with tape orfabric before saturating to condense the same and secure a smoothregular face and perfect contact with the outer electrode, which in suchcase may be the shell D; but I prefer to use the shell consisting of twoor more bent plates.

Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction shown or to the useof all the specified elements in combination, I claim- 1. Thecombination in a battery-cell, of inner and outer electrodes, the latterbeing expansible, a body of saturated absorbent material between theelectrodes normally tending to expand the outer electrode, and meansengaging the outer electrode to limit its expansion and thus hold theabsorbent material under pressure in contact with both electrodes,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a battery-cell, of inner and outer electrodes, thelatter being expansible, a body of absorbent material between theelectrodes normally tending to expand the outer electrode, a case fittedover the outer electrode to limit its expansion and thus hold theabsorbent material under pres sure in contact with both electrodes,substantially as described.

3. A battery-cell provided with an inner and an outer electrode, thelatter being formed of longitudinally-separated sections, a body ofabsorbent material between the inner and outer electrodes normallytending to expand the outer electrode, and means engaging the outerelectrode to limit its expansion and thus hold the absorbent materialunder pressure in contact with both electrodes, substantially as setforth.

4:. A battery-cell having an inner electrode, a body of absorbentmaterial confined to said electrode, an outer electrode, consisting ofseparate bent plates, means for clamping the latter upon the absorbentmaterial, and means to electrically connect the said plates,substantially as described.

5. A battery-cell having an innerelectrode, a body of absorbent materialconfined to said electrode, an outer electrode consisting of separatebent plates, and means for clamping the latter upon the absorbentmaterial, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with theinnerand outer electrodes and interveningabsorbent material of a battery-cell, of a fluid-proof disk extendingbetween the electrodes at the top of the cell and a body of absorbentmaterial above said disk, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CllA RLES EDWD. BURROUGIIS.

Witnesses:

Gno. S. PUTNAN, SoL SoLoMoN.

